Why journalists go to war

War correspondents cover conflicts to tell the stories of people affected, to witness history or for the thrill. In return, they can sometimes find themselves in life-threatening situations.
To date, five journalists are known to have died covering the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Three journalists who covered other wars recounted what it is like to get their stories under adverse circumstances

Well before becoming a journalism professor at the University of Missouri - Kansas City, Peter Morello was a foreign correspondent for PBS. He was already stationed in Europe when he was asked to cover the war in Bosnia which he did, including the siege of Sarajevo.

“I didn't know at the time what I was getting into,” says Morello. “I was 28 years old, and so, I was high octane. I wanted to see history in the making, but I did not want to be shot at, which it turns out to be, I was shot at at least three times.”